Glow Wire - Frequently Asked Questions

Question

How Does Glow Wire work?

Answer

Glow Wire is basically a copper wire with a phosphorous powder coating protected by an outer PVC layer. The wire operates on "AC" (Alternating Current) this is supplied by an Inverter. When an oscillating voltage (50-130V [rms] AC @50-4000Hz - low current) is applied to the wire the phosphorous reacts by giving off an electroluminescent glow.

Question

Is Glow Wire safe?

Answer

Environmentally and as a product Glow Wire is safe, although for common sense reasons we would advise keeping loose Glow Wire and Inverters away from young children. They may bite into the Glow Wire when it is switched on - and get and electric shock.

Question

What is an Inverter?

Answer

An Inverter is a small electric unit which converts "DC" (Direct Current) voltage to "AC" (Alternating Current) voltage to light the Glow Wire.

Question

How bright is it?

Answer

Glow Wire is bright enough to be seen from around 400 feet (120 meters) at night. Glow Wire is visible in semi dark conditions, it doesn't have to be pitch black to be viewed. Glow Wire can be seen in lounge lit conditions.

Question

Does Glow Wire get hot?

Answer

Glow Wire is completely cool to the touch, it lights up immediately when switched on and goes off immediately when switched off.

Question

Is it waterproof?

Answer

Glow Wire itself is waterproof. However If the Glow Wire is to be used in wet conditions it is recommended that all connections to the Glow Wire are sealed with silicone to prevent water from entering. For outside we would recommend heavy duty Glow Wire which is protected from UV (sunlight) rays, this is available from us - just email.

Question

Do you sell Glow Wire seperately?

Answer

Yes we can sell Glow Wire seperately, but it will not work without an inverter. We sell Glow Wire for £7 per meter (less if ordered in quantity). We can supply Glow Wire in continuous rolls of up to 250 meters.

Question

What is the lifetime of Glow Wire?

Answer

Glow wire has a "Half Life" which means it will not go out suddenly. After around 3,000- 4,000 hours (indoors) of being illuminated it will gradually glow less. It has been known to last a lot longer. The wire can be replaced without changing the inverter.

Question

Can Glow Wire be installed by anyone?

Answer

Most people with basic diy skills and soldering ability can work with the product. You don't have to be a Rocket Scientist to install Glow Wire. The Glow Wire is supplied at the length required and ready to fit. For those of you that would like to experiment and customise the Glow Wire for a particular application, i.e join several colours of Glow Wire to each other or reconnect offcuts, some soldering may be required. You can find instructions for this by following this link: Connecting Instructions

Question

How much Glow Wire will one inverter power?

Answer

A small matchbox size inverter (12v) will power up to 8 meters of Glow Wire, either as one length or seperate lengths wired to the inverter in parallel. Larger inverters are available to power longer lengths of Glow Wire. We can provide inverters that will power up to 1000 meters of Glow Wire!

Question

Can offcuts of Glow Wire be reconnected?

Answer

Yes it can be reconnected by following the step shown in theconnecting section of this website. Different colours can also be connected together and ran from the same inverter.